The reporter points to support from the city, the stadium plan, an impressive list of investors and location as to why the bid looks better than those from Sacramento, Cincinnati and Detroit.

"The quick and comprehensive commitment from the city, its growing profile and global cache, and the wealth of majority owner John Ingram—who hails from a renowned local family—have lifted Music City into the lead," he adds. "Add investment from the Wilf family—which owns the Minnesota Vikings—and the fact that Nashville fills a significant hole in the league map, and it looks like a winning bid."

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Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber discusses how the Predators' Stanley Cup Final run and the city's success with its planning will factor in to Nashville's MLS bid.
Ayrika Whitney/USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee

MLS is in discussions with Miami to be the league's 24th franchise. The next two cities named next month would be the league's 25th and 26th teams, with the 27th and 28th to be awarded next year.

What others are saying

Straus is not the only one speaking highly of Nashville's bid. ESPN's Jeff Carlisle writes that the Music City's bid is among the Top 2 of the four finalist, but leaves the door open to maybe being the best one.

"I still think Sacramento and Nashville are still 1 & 2," he wrote on Twitter, "but as I alluded to in an earlier tweet, Meg Whitman's absence from Sac's investor list is a bit of an eyebrow-raiser."

Asked a question about the size of the markets in the running for MLS expansion, Garber said the league's smaller market teams are some of the highest revenue generation ones across the league, highlighting Portland and Kansas City.